Down syndrome (trisomy 21) is known as a genetic condition in which the person has 47 chromosomes instead of the usual 46. Down syndrome symptoms vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe (often featured with medical problems). However, children with Down syndrome have a widely recognized physical appearance. The hand characteristics in Down syndrome are very typical, and it is even possible to make a very reliable hand-diagnosis (with an accuracy beyond 99%).

Pregnant women can be screened for various complications during pregnancy. Many standard prenatal screens can discover Down syndrome, so sometimes the condition is already known before birth.

But when the condition has not yet been identified before birth, in most cases the typical physical characteristics are recognized shortly after birth through the face. And then doctors will make a quick inspection of the hands & feet in order to find out if further diagnostic tests are required.

The hand in Down’s syndrome varies significantly from the common hand. The most significant features manifest in a combination of the dermatoglyphics, the hand shape & the finger morphology. Some of the typical hand characteristics in Down’s syndrome are summarized in the picture below – many more details are summarized in the article: how to make a hand diagnosis for Down syndrome?

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The hands of people who have Down syndrome are typically smaller than the common hand and they are featured with uncommon fingerprint distributions & palmar dermatoglyphics.

Usually the palms of these people are short, featured with a high positioned ‘axial triradius’ (the delta in the dermatoglyphics of the hypothenar – in palmistry / palm reading known as the mount of moon), and a majority also has a simian line or Sydney line.

The fingers are typically featured with ulnar loop fingerprints (possibly a radial loop on the ring finger and or pinky), short fingernails, thumb & pinky are typically very short, and especially the pinky finger can be featured with other minor physical anomalies (such as: clinodactlyly or a missing interphalangeal crease).

A world map based on the pattern-index of fingerprints around the world.

The science of fingerprint interpretation has still a long road ahead before it’s value will be recognized everywhere around the world. Most people are only aware of the fact that each single fingerprint has it’s own unique characteristics – which makes every fingerprint unique in any person. However, beyond the aspect of personal identification, there is another spectrum hidden in the characteristics of the finger glyphs: a perspective that relates to the qualities of your chromosomes & genes… and your health!

The unique characteristics of your fingerprints were already established before you were born. But while it is relatively easy to recognize/describe the uniqueness of a single fingerprint, it is much harder to ‘read’ other info from a fingerprint.

THE ART OF COMBINATION:

Using fingerprint for diagnostic matters requires an understanding of how to discriminate common fingerprint characteristics from rare- or even ‘suspected’ characteristics – in a diagnostic context.

Medical science learns us that unusual dermatoglyphic patterns (usually a combination of fingerprints & palmar dermatoglyphs) often relate to genetic disorders. But is it possible to make a reliable diagnosis from the fingerprints only?

SEXE DIFFERENCES:

Studies around the world nearly always indicate that fingerprints show typical variations among males and females: whorls are more common in the hands of males, arches are more common in the hands of females. And regarding loops: radial loops are usually slightly more common in males, and ulnar loops in females.

ETHNIC DIFFERENCES:

Fingerprint studies around the world have also confirmed that fingerprints also vary with the location in the world. Asians are known for having more whorls, North-Europeans are known for having more loops, and certain tribes in Central Africa are known for having more arches.

FINGER VARIATIONS:

But there is another specific characteristic that has hardly ever been described thoroughly. Because the major fingerprint types typically manifest in different ratios among the fingers.

A few examples:

• ULNAR LOOPS are in all world populations (males & females) seen in the large majority on the pinky finger. And a likewise pattern is seen for the middle finger.

• WHORLS are usually the most dominant type on the thumb, index finger & ring finger; but the prevalance of whorls is typically only slightly higher than the prevalance of ulnar loops.

• RADIAL LOOPS are typically only seen on the index finger (though these are also not uncommon on the middle finger).

• ARCHES are most often seen on the index finger, but they are also not uncommon for the middle finger & thumb.

THE UNIVERSAL PATTERN:

Fingerprint studies have indicated that in nearly all regions of the world the loop is found to be the most common fingerprint type. And therefore the distributions for the arches & whorls become decisive.